Clutch



July 27 1926.

1,594,105 J. W. MILLER CLUTCH v Filed Nov. 13. 1925 Fly] v 20 Fl 2 4 M If: o

' INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Patented Jal i27, 1926;

f v nmrE i-o :s was JOHN W.,MILLEB/,,OF rAsnnnnni cAnironniAl j CLUTCH...

Application filed November 13, 1923. Serial No. 674,561.

e l elitiQili-relates to clutches of themiael'nal vc-3:;p anding type,*,and1a purpose of my 7 invention is they-provision of a clutch partieularly adapted,,although not necessarily, for use 111 well drilling apparatus, ,and

which is'structurally simple yet suiiiciently durable towi-thstand heavy duty. It is also apurpose of mytinvention to provide an internally expanding clutch in" which the expanding means is positive .in

operations-rid capable. of adjustment to come pensate for wear of the liners :so that an effective clutching action can be secured at all times.

I will describe only one formhofblutch embodying my inventionand will then point out :the, novel features thereof in claims.

, Lathe aceompa iymg dr w ngs Figure ;1 is a YlGW ShOWHIg section one form, of-clutch embodying my invention in applied position upon a shaft; Figure 2 is .a ,horizonta'l sectional view taken on the line 22.o f,Figure 1; and

Figure3 is a vertical sectional-view taken on the line 3 :3.v0f Figure l. y

' Referring specifically to the drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar'parts, my invention inits present.

embodiment comprises Ha -body including sleeve ortubulanmember 115 lo selymou ted Qniashaft l6, and provided at, one endwith a spider 17 forisupporting anyannulus li having 3a radially ,extending annular flange 19. A drum 20 is supported at one edge upon the annulus 18 and in abutting relation,

to the flange 19, the drumtbeing secured to the annulus andflange, preferably by weldmg.

Disposed within the drum 20 and keyed "or otherwise fixed to thefshaft 16 is a hub member'21 provided; with integrally formed guiding ears 22; such ears being arranged in pairs at diametrically opposed points, and the ears of each'pair being formed with alined openings 23 for slidably receiving rods 24. The rods 24 are detachably secured within the sockets 25 of a collar 26 by means j of screw bolts 27, and-the free ends of the rods are tapered to form wedges 28 adapted to actuate levers29. The collar 26 is formed As' clearly shownin Figure 3, the levers in vertical at points; indicated at 2 upon anentensio-n 33 of -the hub member 21.; The lower ends of the, levers 29ers disposed between the pairs] of cars. 22 and vare formed with rounded edges S ladapted to :be engaged by" the edgesj'28.- The upperends ofxthe levers are tapered and constantly engage the heads of connecting members includingishanks which are threaded 1n bosses orsookets 37; formed on the apperjends'of shoes 38. ,Lock

nuts-39ers mounted onlthe shanks 36' for v securing the connecting mem bers in any adjusted 'po'sition within thesocketsand the nuts heads are formed at intervals with openings :10 to permlt the application of the n'nts ahdfheadg,

l The shoes "se sor. substantially:seini- 1 circular form and have their zlowergends curved inwardly and pivoted uponi 'a depending arm ll/forined in the hub 21, the plvot points of the shoes being indicated at 42. These shoes, carry liners 43 which [are adapted to engage the inner periphery )of, a the drn n QQbut-are normally maintained suitable tools thereto in effecting Krotationof outlof engagementi with the drum by means ofcoiled contractile springs 44: conn'ectedto the dipper ends of the shoes by means of l qek an e gi con acth h es, :as will b n der te dn Qp rat mt ro s f e-wer norm y r tracted so 1 as to allow :thexleversZS) to occupy ael rormal positionwherein the-springs 4A yieldably maintain) thev shoes and consequentlyzthe liners out of contact with the inner periphery of the drum. As the clutch body is loosely-mounted upon the" shaft 16, it will be clear that when thefshoes are out of engagement with the" drum no operative connection is provided between-the hub member 21 and the dru1n20. However,

when the collar 26 is moved: toward the" drum, the wedge members 28 of therods 25iengage the lower ends ofthe lever 29, there by actuating the same to" move their upper ends outwardly against the heads 35 of the connecting members andthereby' forcing the shoes cntwardlytocause the liners to engage the inner peripheryof the drum 20, thus operatively connecting the clutch drum with the hub member so'that rotation of the shaft 16 will be imparted to the drum. a In Figure 1' I have shown a gear 46v slidably keyedupon the sleeve 15 so as to tate therewith whereby, when the clutch drum is operatively connected to, the huh I member, rotation of the gear 46 is effected, yet permitting of a longitudinal ad ustment of the gear upon the sleeve.

Upon retraction of the collar 26 so as to withdraw the wedges 28 out of engagement with the levers 29, the springs i-ii operate to contract the shoes 38 to normal position, thereby moving the liners 4-3 out of engagement with the drum 20 and thereby discorr neeting the clutch drum from the hub member. By an adjustment of the connecting members within the sockets 37, it will be manifest that the wear of the liners d3 can be compensated for so as to insure the proper gripping of the-liners with the drum at all times.

Although I have shown and escribed only one form of clutch embodying my invention, it is to be'understood that various changes and modiii-v ions may be made herewit. in without departing from the spirit of the invention and the spirit and scope or the appended claims.

l i hat I claim is:

1. An internally expanding clutch comprising a body including an annulus and a drum secured to the annulus. a hub member adapted to be lined to a shaft, guide ears on the l'iub member, an extension on the hub member, levers pivoted on the extension, said levers having one of their ends tapered and the other disposed between said guide ears, liner-carrying shoes pivoted on the hub member, sockets on the shoes, shanks threaded in the sockets and having heads engaging the tapered ends of the levers, yieldable members for urging the shoes toward each other to maintain the shanks in engagement with the levers, a collar adapted for movement longitudinally on said shaft, and wedges carried by the collar and movable in said ears to actuate said levers whereby drum secured to the annulus,

said shoes can be expanded against the action of the yieldable members to cause the liners to engage said drum.

2 An internally expanding clutch comprising a body including an annulus and a a hub member adapted to be fixed to a shaft, guide ears on the hub member, an extension on the hub meml er, levers pivoted on the extension, said levers having one of their ends tapered and the other disposed between said guide ears, liner carrying shoes pivoted on the hub member, sockets on the shoes, shanks threaded in the sockets and having heads engaging the tapered ends of the levers, yieldable members for urging the shoes toward each other to maintain the shanks in engagement with the levers, a collar adapted for movement longitudinally on the said shaft, and rods reinovably secured in the collar and having wedges formed on the ends thereof, said rods being movable in said ears to cause the -wedges to eng go the levers for the pur pose described.

2-3. A clutch comprising a hub member, guiding ears on the hub member arranged in pairs, with the ears of each pair formed with registering openings, a collar mounted for movement toward and away from the hub member, rods detachably secured to the collar and having their free ends tapered to provide Wedge members, said rods being movable in said openings, an extension on the hub member, levers pivoted on the extension and disposed between said ears, adrum surrounding the hub member, shoes pivoted on the hub member, means normally acting to contract the shoes, and means for actuating the collar to move said wedge members inwardly of the ears for actuating the lovers to expand said shoes.

JOHN W. MILLER, 

